Debbie Cochran

BIOGRAPHY

Once upon a time, a little blonde girl found herself enchanted by the beauty and magic she found in the world of music. Fond highlights of her childhood memories are woven throughout her song "The Movie In My Mind" in a narrative that lovingly depicts the tale of the fertile ground in which the seeds of her young dreams were planted.

Growing up with Alabama memories , overflowing with loving family, Debbie would weave her way through the circle that gathered around the family piano and stand proudly by the side of her grandmother, who’s booming gospel voice lead her aunt’s and uncles in perfect sibling harmonies. She would join in the chorus, proudly singing their original songs and stories at the top of her sweet young voice. Those rich memories of summer breezes that carried the scent of sweet tea and magnolia, and the joyful voices of her family, filled her house and her heart, and she shares those precious moments through the lyrics she's lovingly penned for us.

Throughout her journey, she’s expressed her deepest emotions through playing the piano, mountain dulcimer and bass guitar, and recently added the acoustic guitar to her ensemble of beloved instruments. Every note is a foundational stone that developed into the songwriter she’s become today. Debbie can’t ever remember a time when she didn’t keep scraps of paper close by to jot down ideas and lyrics that came to her easily and seemingly out of nowhere.

As time passed by, divine inspiration married melody to her treasured lyrics, and to this day she finds herself blissfully lost in a world of narrative and song. Debbie's dreams of writing and singing songs on that "Nashville" stage, and hearing them over the radio, gave her the inspiration and courage to open the doors to recording her very first album with Grammy nominated Producer Kent Wells, who inspired the whole project with four simple but prophetic words "It's Never Too Late".

In a segment of her life that should be captured in her grandchildren’s crayon art on the refrigerator, Debbie Cochran traverses a different path to fulfill her lifelong dream of being a recording artist. This Natural State (Arkansas) songstress proves it’s truly never too late to pursue your childhood aspirations. “My entire family had a musical vein and, even back when I was all knees and elbows, I would spend my days with my grandma who played the piano and organ and sang regularly in church,” remembers Debbie. “That was the root of my gospel influence. Those powerful lyrics and harmonic vocals were mesmerizing!”

Those key based instruments opened the flood gates to a lifelong passion of instrumental and vocal discovery. Throughout the journey to this debut record, Debbie learned to play the mountain dulcimer and bass guitar while honing her talents as a songwriter. “I remember many times finding any paper close by to write down lyrics and not understanding why I was driven to write them down. Making the decision to turn it into something more than a few interesting lines was a true labor of love that I can’t live without now.”

Today, her style would be described as a golden gospel voice peppered with traditional country undertones. This Helen Mirren meets Debbie Boone performer, anchors her sounds in her church reared impressionable years and her love of early Reba McEntire and Martina McBride tracks. While her soul is rejuvenated with the journey to Nashville, it results in some awkward moments with her family. “I find myself getting lost in the music and I can’t praise my husband (Elmer) enough for his patience. I can’t recall all the times that he’s snapped his fingers and asked me, ‘Are you here or in Nashville?’”

Before turning to the production ears of Kent Wells (Dolly Parton, Neal McCoy & Michael Peterson) to guide the project, the only outlet she had to share her music with the world was on a stage that her husband built in their hometown of Batesville, AR. “When you live in a town of less than 10,000, the opportunities to play music are not just limited, they don’t exist. Elmer saw how much this dream meant to me and built me my own Opry stage here in the city. I can’t wait to perform this new album in front of my family and friends on our home stage.”

When Debbie isn’t on stage, she spends her autumn years traveling the world with Elmer in the RV. He diligently plans each stop and packs for their highway vacations while Debbie spends her time trying to figure out how she’s going to fit all her music equipment in the RV while leaving enough cabinet space to accommodate their luggage. One item that is a must have for every road trip is her camera. “I love to take pictures and make my own DVDs. It’s another opportunity to touch hearts and tell a story through the images and music.” Debbie’s story and music is one that has spread smiles and serves as a testament to the vitality of the human spirit. She lives her lyrics everyday that she steps in the studio, writes a new song or hits the lights center stage ---“It’s never too late!”